THE MILLETS 121 



are also objedHonable. If the hay is cut over-ripe 

 these bristles are apt to injure the mouths of stock. 

 Cases have also been reported in which the bristles 

 have formed hair balls in cows' stomachs, causing in- 

 flammation and resulting fatally. 



We have already called attention to the impossibil- 

 ity, in adlual pradlice, of cutting hay at just the right 

 season ; if delay in harvesting results in the develop- 

 ment of decidedly objedlionable characters in a hay 

 plant, such charadters are certain to limit the useful- 

 ness of the crop, for it will occasionally be necessary 

 to cut over-ripe hay. The variation in coarseness, due 

 to difference in thickness of the stand, is also a matter 

 of some importance. Timothy, even when the stand 

 is thin, does not g^ow much coarser stems than when 

 the stand is normal. Millet, on the other hand, grows 

 very large, coarse stems when for any reason a poor 

 stand is secured. Even when plenty of seed is used 

 the stand may be poor because of unfavorable soil con- 

 ditions at seeding-tijne. This lack of Uniformity in 

 the charadler of growth of millet prejudices many 

 against it. 



The fadl that millet is an annual may be either an 

 advantage or a disadvantage, according to circum- 

 stances. It is probably true that millet would occupy 

 a much more important place in our agriculture if it 

 were perennial. The American farmer likes a grass 

 that can be kept in a meadow for several years with no 

 attention except to cut it for hay. At the same time, 

 a produdlive, short-season annual is exceedingly use- 

 ful for sowing when other crops fail ; it is for this lat- 

 ter purpose that millet is most largely used. In some 



